The present invention relates to staining techniques for biological specimens which provide for excellent visual clarity and contrast in the stained specimen.
While a variety of stains are available for either light or electron microscopy of glycomacromolecules, such as glycogen, glycoproteins, reticular fibers basement membranes, and nuclear DNA there is a need for a stain that works well for both of the various modes of microscopy.
The use of periodic acid or hydrochloric acid in conjunction with a Schiff reagent are known staining procedure, but does not provide as high a degree of contrast and clarity as one would desire.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a procedure for the staining of biological specimens which result in a high degree of visual clarity and contrast in the stained specimen.
This and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the discussion which follows.
Generally speaking, the present invention provides a procedure for the staining of a biological or other specimen by contacting the specimen sequentially with periodic or hydrochloric acid, thiocarbohydrazide or thiosemicarbazide, and silver methenamine.